Kendall Hunter will reportedly miss the rest of the season due to his ankle injury, according to USA Today Sports' Mike Garafolo.

San Francisco 49ers running back Kendall Hunter will miss the rest of the season with an ankle injury suffered in Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints, according to a person informed of the prognosis for Hunter.

The person, who spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because the 49ers haven't yet announced how long Hunter will be sidelined, did not specify the injury. The Niners said only Hunter had suffered an ankle injury on Sunday.

Hunter went down early in the fourth quarter. He was slow getting up and needed assistance to get off the field, as he couldn't put any pressure on his left leg. The dynamic running back may only have the "questionable" tag, but it would be surprising to see him return with the Niners leading by 10 halfway through the fourth quarter.

It's not the worst possible thing that could happen to San Francisco, but Hunter was well on his way to establishing himself as as an extremely useful cog in this offense.

Against the Saints on Sunday, he racked up 28 yards on just four carries, including an impressive 21-yard scamper down the left sideline.

On the season, the second-year pro out of Oklahoma State now has 72 rushes for 371 yards and two touchdowns. He has proven to be the perfect complement to Frank Gore, while showcasing enough talent to step up and anchor the offense if anything should happen to the starter.

With Hunter out, Brandon Jacobs, who saw his first action of the season on Sunday, steps into the backup role. Rookie LaMichael James could also see some playing time, especially if Hunter and kick returner Kyle Williams are both sidelined for an extended period of time.

We'll be sure to keep you updated as more becomes known regarding this situation.